Role of DNA Damage Response Genes in Prostate Cancer Similar for African Americans, European Americans

Representation of the <em>BRCA2</em> gene

Adam S. Kibel, MD, and Anna Plym, PhD, of the Division of Urology, and colleagues conducted the most comprehensive study to date on the role of inherited DNA damage response (DDR) genes in aggressive prostate cancer. They report high carrier frequency of DDR gene alterations in lethal cases irrespective of ancestry.

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Endoscopic Ultrasound–guided Gastroenterostomy Is a Viable Option for Palliation of Gastric Outlet Obstruction

Medical professional holding instrument for endoscopy with purple gloves

Ali Abbas, MD, MPH, Christopher C. Thompson, MD, MSc, and colleagues report similar technical success rates for endoscopic ultrasound–guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) and surgical gastrojejunostomy, despite more advanced cancer stage and worse performance status in the EUS-GE cohort.

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Esophagectomy Complication Rate Higher with Low-volume Surgeons Even at the Same High-volume Center

Close up of two surgeons beginning thoracic surgery

A study conducted by Daniel Dolan, MD, MPH, Scott J. Swanson, MD, of the Division of Thoracic Surgery, and colleagues determined that even at the Brigham’s high-volume center, low individual esophagectomy volume was associated with a higher perioperative complication rate.

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Survival Similar Whether Patients With Spinal Metastases Have Surgery or Not

X-ray highlighting spine metastasis

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital examined the two-year natural history of spinal metastases in cancer patients treated operatively or non-operatively and found that both types of treatment yielded improvements in health-related quality of life, but there was no survival advantage with surgery.

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Exploring the Role of Neurons in the Tumor Microenvironment that Drive Cancer Growth

Humsa Venkatesh, PhD, a cancer biologist, is studying the neural regulation of cancer and how nervous system cells found within the tumor microenvironment drive tumor growth. Her research has implications for primary brain tumors such as gliomas and for tumors that metastasize to the brain from other parts of the body.

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Metabolic Syndrome and Its Treatment Affects Response to Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Metastatic Prostate Cancer

3D rendering of prostate cancer cells from top-down view

Adam S. Kibel, MD, and Jiun-Hung Geng, of the Brigham’s Division of Urology, and colleagues recently conducted the first study of how the combination of metabolic syndrome and its treatment affect response to androgen deprivation therapy in castration-sensitive prostate cancer.

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Lower Steroid Dose for Initial Management of Hepatitis Secondary to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

3D concept of a human liver with hepatitus virus

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital conducted the first study to compare the outcomes of different steroid dosing regimens prescribed for patients with high-grade ICI hepatitis. Stephen D. Zucker, MD, Shilpa Grover, MD, MPH, Michael Li, MD, MPH, and colleagues present evidence for starting with the lower dose.

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Cardiac Risk Substantially Lower with Enzalutamide Than Abiraterone

Using the world’s largest pharmacovigilance database, Eugene B. Cone, MD, Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, and colleagues determined the risk of cardiac adverse events is increased substantially with abiraterone and not at all with enzalutamide.

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Polypharmacy in Older Adults Not Associated with Post-Thoracic Surgery Complications

Close up of senior woman holding a medicine box and taking out a pill

A retrospective study at the Brigham, led by Lisa Cooper, MD, and Laura N. Frain, MD, MPH, found that polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medications, and frailty were not associated with complications after surgery for thoracic malignancies, but frailty was associated with increased length of hospital stay.

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Expanding the Role for Metastasectomy in Advanced-Stage Melanoma

Historically, stage 4 melanoma was considered incurable. In these cases, metastasectomy was performed for only as a palliative measure. But with recent advancements in systemic therapy, metastasectomy has emerged as an effective tool for extending the period of disease control and enhancing overall treatment response. Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center is at the forefront of this transformation.

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